List of career achievements by Michael Johnson facts for kids
This page details the career achievements of American track & field athlete Michael Johnson. Over the course of his career, Johnson consistently dominated his events, winning almost every time he took to the track. He set numerous world and Olympic records in short distance track, both as an individual and as a member of relay teams. His domination of the 400 meter race is unprecedented in the history of track and field, making him arguably the greatest 400 m runner of all time. For approximately one decade, Michael Johnson held the world records in the 200 meters, 400 meters and indoor 400 meters, as well as the world's best time in the 300 meters and the world record for the 4 by 400 meter relay. He is still a world record holder for the 4 x 400 meter relay. In 2004, Johnson was voted into the United States Track & Field Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, his record-setting 200-meter performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics was deemed the greatest track and field moment in the past 25 years. Johnson is generally considered one of the greatest and most consistent sprinters in the history of track and field. He remains the only athlete to have broken 19.4 seconds for the 200 metres and 43.4 seconds for the 400 metres.
Contents
Medal record
Olympics
| Games | Event | Times | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Barcelona | 4 x 400 m relay | 2:55.74 (44.73)   |
Gold |
| 1996 Atlanta | 200 m | 19.32 |
Gold |
| 1996 Atlanta | 400 m | 43.49 |
Gold |
| 2000 Sydney | 400 m | 43.84 | Gold |
| 2000 Sydney | 4 x 400 m relay | 2:56.35 (44.29) | Disqualified* |
| *Teammates Antonio Pettigrew and Jerome Young later admitted to use of performance-enhancing drugs, invalidating this performance and vacating the team of their gold medals. |
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World Championships
| Games | Event | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 Tokyo | 200 m | 20.01  |
Gold |
| 1993 Stuttgart | 400 m | 43.65 |
Gold |
| 1993 Stuttgart | 4 x 400 m relay | 2:54.29 (42.91) |
Gold |
| 1995 Gothenburg | 200 m | 19.79 |
Gold |
| 1995 Gothenburg | 400 m | 43.39 |
Gold |
| 1995 Gothenburg | 4 x 400 m relay | 2:57.32 (44.11) | Gold |
| 1997 Athens | 400 m | 44.12 | Gold |
| 1999 Seville | 400 m | 43.18 |
Gold |
Awards
- IAAF World Athlete of the Year: 1996, 1999
- Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year: 1990, 1996
- Jesse Owens Award: 1994, 1995, 1996
- Associated Press Athlete of the Year: 1996
- Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award: 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000
- James E. Sullivan Award: 1996
- Jesse Owens International Trophy: 1996, 1997
Track & Field News World Rankings
| Event | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 meters | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | NR | 2 | 8 |
| 400 meters | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Personal bests
200 meters
| Time (sec) | Wind | Result | Date | Venue | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.32 |
0.4 | 1 | August 1, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 28 years, 323 days | |
| 19.66 |
1.7 | 1 | June 23, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 28 years, 284 days | |
| 19.71A | 1.8 | 1 r1 | March 18, 2000 | Pietersburg, South Africa | 32 years, 187 days | |
| 19.77 | 0.6 | 1 | July 8, 1996 | Stockholm, Sweden | 28 years, 299 days | |
| 19.79 | 1.0 | 1 | June 28, 1992 | New Orleans, LA, United States | 24 years, 289 days | |
| 19.79 |
0.5 | 1 | August 11, 1995 | Göteborg, Sweden | 27 years, 332 days | |
| 19.83 | 1.7 | 1 | May 18, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 28 years, 248 days | |
| 19.85 | 0.4 | 1 | July 6, 1990 | Edinburgh, Scotland | 22 years, 296 days | |
| 19.85 | 1.1 | 2 | July 5, 1996 | Oslo, Norway | 28 years, 296 days | |
| 19.88A | 1.5 | 1 | August 8, 1990 | Sestriere, Italy | 22 years, 329 days | |
| 19.88 | –0.9 | 1 | September 20, 1991 | Barcelona, Spain | 24 years, 7 days | |
| 19.89 | 1.0 | 1 | September 13, 1991 | Bruxelles, Belgium | 24 years, 0 days | |
| 19.89 | 0.3 | 1 h4 | July 22, 2000 | Sacramento, CA, United States | 32 years, 313 days | |
| 19.90 | 0.3 | 1 | June 16, 1990 | Norwalk, CA, United States | 22 years, 276 days | 1990 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships |
| 19.91 | 1.9 | 1 | July 13, 1992 | Salamanca, Spain | 24 years, 304 days | |
| 19.91 | 0.0 | 1 r1 | June 9, 2000 | Sevilla, Spain | 32 years, 270 days | |
| 19.93 | –0.3 | 1 | September 9, 1995 | Monaco, Monaco | 27 years, 361 days | |
| 19.93 | 0.8 | 1 | July 7, 1999 | Roma, Italy | 31 years, 297 days | |
| 19.93 | 0.4 | 1 | September 3, 1999 | Bruxelles, Belgium | 31 years, 355 days | |
| 19.94 | 1.4 | 1 | September 15, 1991 | Sheffield, England | 24 years, 2 days | |
| 19.94 | 0.0 | 1 | August 2, 1994 | Monaco, Monaco | 26 years, 323 days | |
| 19.98 | –0.4 | 1 | September 6, 1991 | Rieti, Italy | 23 years, 358 days | |
| 19.98 | 0.3 | 1 | May 22, 1992 | Houston, TX, United States | 24 years, 252 days | |
| 20.01 | 1.0 | 1 | June 29, 1990 | Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France | 22 years, 289 days | |
| 20.01 |
–3.4 | 1 | August 27, 1991 | Tokyo, Japan | 23 years, 348 days | |
| 20.01 | 0.3 | 1 sf1 | August 11, 1995 | Göteborg, Sweden | 27 years, 332 days |
400 meters
In the history of track, ninety times has a runner run the 400 meters in less than 44 seconds. Johnson alone accounts for 22 of these 90 sub-44 performances (correct as of June 2023).
| Time (sec) | Result | Date | Venue | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43.18 |
1 | August 26, 1999 | Sevilla, Spain | 31 years, 347 days | |
| 43.39 |
1 | August 9, 1995 | Göteborg, Sweden | 27 years, 330 days | |
| 43.44 | 1 | June 19, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 28 years, 280 days | |
| 43.49 |
1 | July 29, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 28 years, 320 days | |
| 43.65 |
1 | August 17, 1993 | Stuttgart, Germany | 25 years, 338 days | |
| 43.66 | 1 | June 16, 1995 | Sacramento, CA, United States | 27 years, 276 days | |
| 43.66 | 1 r1 | July 3, 1996 | Lausanne, Switzerland | 28 years, 294 days | |
| 43.68 | 1 | August 12, 1998 | Zürich, Switzerland | 30 years, 333 days | |
| 43.68 | 1 | July 16, 2000 | Sacramento, CA, United States | 32 years, 307 days | |
| 43.74 | 1 | June 19, 1993 | Eugene, OR, United States | 25 years, 279 days | |
| 43.75 | 1 | April 19, 1997 | Waco, TX, United States | 29 years, 218 days | |
| 43.76 | 1 | July 21, 1998 | Uniondale, NY, United States | 30 years, 311 days | |
| 43.84 | 1 | September 25, 2000 | Sydney, Australia | 33 years, 12 days | |
| 43.86 | 1 | July 21, 1995 | Oslo, Norway | 27 years, 311 days | |
| 43.88 | 1 | August 16, 1995 | Zürich, Switzerland | 27 years, 337 days | |
| 43.90 | 1 | September 6, 1994 | Madrid, Spain | 26 years, 358 days | |
| 43.92 | 1 r2 | July 2, 1999 | Lausanne, Switzerland | 31 years, 292 days | |
| 43.92 | 1 | June 24, 2000 | Eugene, OR, United States | 32 years, 285 days | |
| 43.94 | 1 | August 27, 1993 | Berlin, Germany | 25 years, 348 days | |
| 43.95 | 1 sf1 | August 24, 1999 | Sevilla, Spain | 31 years, 345 days | |
| 43.96 | 1 | August 8, 1998 | Monaco, Monaco | 30 years, 329 days | |
| 43.98 | 1 r1 | July 10, 1992 | London, England | 24 years, 301 days | |
| 44.04 | 1 | August 30, 1994 | Berlin, Germany | 26 years, 351 days | |
| 44.06 | 1 | August 28, 1998 | Bruxelles, Belgium | 30 years, 349 days | |
| 44.07 | 1 | August 25, 2000 | Bruxelles, Belgium | 32 years, 347 days | |
| 44.12 | 1 | August 5, 1997 | Athína, Greece | 29 years, 326 days | |
| 44.17 | 1 r1 | July 10, 1991 | Lausanne, Switzerland | 23 years, 300 days |
Indoor 400 meters
| Time (sec) | Result | Date | Venue | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.63 |
1 | March 4, 1995 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 27 years, 172 days | 1995 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships |
| 44.66 | 1 | March 2, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 28 years, 171 days | |
| 44.97A |
1 | February 10, 1995 | Reno, NV, United States | 27 years, 150 days | First athlete to break 45 seconds |
| 45.14 | 1 | February 20, 1993 | Birmingham, England | 25 years, 160 days | |
| 45.17 | 1 | February 26, 1994 | Birmingham, England | 26 years, 166 days | |
| 45.32 | 1 | February 24, 1996 | Fairfax, VA, United States | 28 years, 164 days | |
| 45.46 | 1 r1 | February 28, 1991 | Sevilla, Spain | 23 years, 168 days | |
| 45.55 | 1 | February 25, 1995 | Fairfax, VA, United States | 27 years, 165 days |
100 meters
| Time (sec) | Wind | Result | Date | Venue | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.09 | 2.0 | 2 h3 | June 15, 1994 | Knoxville, TN, United States | 26 years, 275 days |
300 meters
| Time (sec) | Result | Date | Venue | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.85 WB | 1 | March 24, 2000 | Pretoria, South Africa | 32 years, 193 days |
| 31.56 | 1 | July 22, 1994 | Salamanca, Spain | 26 years, 312 days |
4 by 200 meters relay
| Time (sec) | Result | Date | Venue | Age | Team | Legs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:19.47 | 1 | April 24, 1999 | Philadelphia, PA, United States | 31 years, 223 days | Nike | Kenny Brokenburr, Alvin Harrison, Maurice Greene, Michael Johnson |
4 by 400 meters relay
| Time (sec) | Result | Date | Venue | Age | Team | Legs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:54.29 (42.91) |
1 | August 22, 1993 | Stuttgart, Germany | 25 years, 343 days | United States | Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson | 1993 World Championships Final. Fastest relay leg in history. |
| 2:55.74 (44.73) |
1 | August 8, 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | 24 years, 330 days | United States | Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis | 1992 Summer Olympics Final |
| 2:57.32 (44.11) | 1 | August 13, 1995 | Göteborg, Sweden | 27 years, 334 days | United States | Marlon Ramsey, Derek Mills, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson | 1995 World Championships Final |
| 2:58.72 | 1 sf2 | August 21, 1993 | Stuttgart, Germany | 25 years, 342 days | United States | Andrew Valmon, Antonio Pettigrew, Derek Mills, Michael Johnson | 1993 World Championships Qualifying Heat 2 |
Records
World records
| Event | Time | Date | Venue | Surpassed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 meters | 19.32 | August 1, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, USA | Usain Bolt (19.19, Berlin, Germany, August 20, 2009) |
| 300 meters | 30.85 | March 24, 2000 | Pretoria, South Africa | Wayde van Niekerk (30.81, Ostrava, Czech Republic, June 28, 2017) |
| 400 meters | 43.18 | August 26, 1999 | Sevilla, Spain | Wayde van Niekerk (43.03, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 14, 2016) |
| 400 meters (indoor) | 44.63 | March 4, 1995 | Atlanta, GA, United States | Kerron Clement (44.57, Fayetteville, AR, United States, March 12, 2005) |
| 4 x 400 meter relay | 2:54.29 (42.91) | August 22, 1993 | Stuttgart, Germany | Never been surpassed |
| 4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson. Johnson ran the anchor leg in 42.91 seconds, which is the fastest 400 meters ever run by a human. |
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Fastest 4 x 400 meter relay leg in history: 42.91, fourth leg, United States relay team, August 22, 1993, Stuttgart, Germany
- 1993 IAAF World Championships Final (gold)
- Other than Jeremy Wariner (USA) who ran a 42.93 split in the 2007 Osaka World Championship final, no one else has ever broken 43 seconds.
- The 4 x 400 m U.S. relay team also set a world record with a time of 2:54.29. Both records still stand.
Consecutive 400 meter finals won: 58
- Johnson's eight-year winning streak in the 400 m was snapped when he finished fifth in Paris in June 1997. Antonio Pettigrew won the race.
Largest margin of victory in the 200 meters in 55 years (1991 World Championships)
- Johnson ran a Championship record 20.01, .33 seconds ahead of Frankie Fredericks.
- Largest margin of victory in 200 m since Jesse Owens ran a world record 20.7, .4 seconds ahead of Mack Robinson, in the 1936 Olympics
Largest margin of victory in the 200 meters in history (1996 Olympics)
- Johnson ran a world record 19.32, .36 seconds ahead of Frankie Fredericks.
- Tied with Jesse Owens
- Broken by Usain Bolt
Largest improvement ever on a 200 m world record: .34 seconds
- Johnson broke his own record
Largest margin of victory in the 400 meters in history (1999 World Championships)
- Johnson ran a world record 43.18, finishing an incredible 1.11 seconds ahead of second-place Sanderlei Claro Parrela of Brazil.
Only athlete to be ranked #1 in the world in both 200 meters and 400 meters in the same year
- Five different years (1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996)
First athlete to break 20 seconds in 200 meters and 44 seconds in 400 meters in a career
- Also achieved by LaShawn Merritt, the second athlete to do so, Isaac Makwala, the third, and Wayde van Niekerk, the fourth athlete.
Only athlete to break 20 seconds in 200 meters and 44 seconds in 400 meters at the same meet
- He first achieved this at the 1995 U.S. National Championships.
First athlete to break 45 seconds in indoor 400 meters: 44.97, February 10, 1995, Reno, NV, United States
Most gold medals won on the track: Twelve (4 Olympics, 8 World Championships)
- Carl Lewis won more gold medals in track & field, but not more on the track. Usain Bolt has broken this record, surpassing both Johnson and Lewis in the gold medal count on the track.
First athlete to win both 200 meters and 400 meters at U.S. National Championships (1995)
Olympic records
| Event | Time | Date | Venue | Surpassed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 meters | 19.32 | August 1, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | Usain Bolt (19.30, Beijing, China, August 20, 2008) |
| 400 meters | 43.49 | July 29, 1996 | Atlanta, GA, United States | Wayde van Niekerk (43.03, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 14, 2016) |
| 4 x 400 meter relay | 2:55.74 (44.73) | August 8, 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | United States (2:55.39, Beijing, China, August 23, 2008) |
| 1992 4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson and Steve Lewis. Johnson ran the third leg in 44.73 seconds. |
||||
| 2008 4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, David Neville and Jeremy Wariner. | ||||
Only man to win 200 meters and 400 meters at the same Olympics (1996 Atlanta)
Only man to repeat as Olympic champion in 400 meters (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney)
IAAF World Championships records
| Event | Time | Date | Venue | Surpassed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 meters | 19.79 | August 11, 1995 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Usain Bolt (19.19 seconds) |
| 400 meters | 43.18 | August 26, 1999 | Sevilla, Spain | Never been surpassed |
| 4 x 400 meter relay | 2:54.29 (42.91) | August 22, 1993 | Stuttgart, Germany | Never been surpassed |
| 4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson. Johnson ran the anchor leg in 42.91 seconds, which is the fastest 400 meters ever run by a human. |
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Fastest 4 x 400 meter relay leg in World Championships history: 42.91, fourth leg, United States relay team, August 22, 1993, Stuttgart, Germany
- 1993 IAAF World Championships Final (gold)
- No one else has ever broken 43 seconds.
- The 4 x 400 m U.S. relay team also set a world record with a time of 2:54.29. Both records still stand.
Only athlete to win the 200 meters and 400 meters at the World Championships in a career (1991 Tokyo, 1993 Stuttgart)
Only athlete to win the 200 meters and 400 meters at the same World Championships (1995 Gothenburg)
- This required running nine races in nine days.
Most gold medals won in World Championships history: Eight
- Tied with Carl Lewis
- Broken by Usain Bolt
Achievements
| Year | Meeting | Venue | Result | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | USA Indoor Championships | 2nd | Indoor 400 m | ||
| 1989 | NCAA Indoor Championships | 1st | Indoor 200 m | 20.59 AR | |
| 1990 | ? | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 1st | 200 m | 19.85 AC |
| 1990 | USA Indoor Championships | 1st | Indoor 400 m | 47.43 | |
| 1990 | USA Indoor Championships | 1st | Indoor 200 m | 20.72 | |
| 1990 | USA Outdoors Championships | Norwalk | 1st | 200 m | 19.90 |
| 1990 | NCAA Outdoors Championships | Durham | 1st | 200 m | 20.31 |
| 1990 | Goodwill Games | Seattle, United States | 1st | 200 m | |
| 1991 | IAAF World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | 200 m | 20.01 |
| 1991 | USA Indoor Championships | 1st | Indoor 400 m | 46.70 | |
| 1991 | USA Outdoors Championships | New York City, United States | 1st | 200 m | 20.31 |
| 1991 | IAAF / Mobil Grand Prix Final | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 200 m | 19.88 |
| 1992 | U.S. Olympic Trials | New Orleans, United States | 1st | 200 m | 19.79 |
| 1992 | Crystal Palace | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 400 m | 43.98 AC |
| 1992 | 1992 Summer Olympics | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 4 x 400 m Relay | 2:55.74 (3rd leg, 44.73) |
| 1993 | IAAF World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 4 x 400 m Relay | 2:54.29 (4th leg, 42.91) |
| 1993 | IAAF World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 400 m | 43.65 AC |
| 1993 | USA Outdoors Championships | Eugene, United States | 1st | 400 m | 43.74 |
| 1993 | IAAF / Mobil Grand Prix Final | London, United Kingdom | 3rd | 200 m | |
| 1994 | Goodwill Games | St. Petersburg, Russia | 1st | 200 m | 20.10 AC |
| 1995 | IAAF World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 4 x 400 m Relay | 2:57.32 AC (4th leg, 44.11) |
| 1995 | IAAF World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 200 m | 19.79 |
| 1995 | IAAF World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 400 m | 43.39 AC |
| 1995 | ? | Reno, United States | 1st | Indoor 400 m | 44.97 |
| 1995 | USA Indoor Championships | Atlanta, Georgia | 1st | Indoor 400 m | 44.63 |
| 1995 | USA Outdoors Championships | 1st | 200 m | 19.83 | |
| 1995 | USA Outdoors Championships | Sacramento, United States | 1st | 400 m | 43.66 |
| 1995 | IAAF / Mobil Grand Prix Final | Monaco | 1st | 200 m | 19.93 |
| 1996 | Atlanta Grand Prix Final | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 200 m | 19.83 |
| 1996 | U.S. Olympic trials | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 400 m | 43.44 US |
| 1996 | U.S. Olympic trials | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 200 m | 19.66 |
| 1996 | 1996 Summer Olympics | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 400 m | 43.49 |
| 1996 | 1996 Summer Olympics | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 200 m | 19.32 |
| 1996 | USA Indoor Championships | 1st | Indoor 400 m | 44.66 | |
| 1996 | IAAF / Mobil Grand Prix Final | 1st | 400 m | ||
| 1997 | IAAF World Championships | Athens, Greece | 1st | 400 m | 44.12 |
| 1998 | Goodwill Games | New York City, United States | 1st | 400 m | 43.76 |
| 1998 | Oslo, Norway | 3rd | 400 m | 44.58 | |
| 1999 | IAAF World Championships | Seville, Spain | 1st | 4 x 400 m Relay | 2:56.47 AC |
| 1999 | IAAF World Championships | Seville, Spain | 1st | 400 m | 43.18 |
| 2000 | Pietersburg, South Africa | 1st | 200 m | 19.71 AC | |
| 2000 | Pretoria, South Africa | 1st | 300 m | 30.85 WB | |
| 2000 | South Africa | 1st | 400 m | 43.9 | |
| 2000 | U.S. Olympic Trials | Sacramento, United States | 1st | 400 m | 43.68 |
| 2000 | 2000 Summer Olympics | Sydney, Australia | 1st | 400 m | 43.84 |
- AR - American record
- AC - All-comers record; fastest time ever run on host nation's soil
- US - Fastest time ever run on United States soil
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List of career achievements by Michael Johnson Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.